Choose systemd-tmpfiles actions before running a maintenance command

Creation, age-based cleaning and rule-directed removal select different filesystem operations.

Source facts

The Debian systemd-tmpfiles manual separates --create, --clean, and --remove. Creation applies the relevant declared files, directories, and metadata. Cleaning operates on entries with configured age parameters. Removal uses the configuration’s removal directives. Several operations can be combined, with removal and cleanup occurring before creation. The selected flags therefore materially affect the outcome.

Source: Debian systemd manual — systemd-tmpfiles(8) — systemd — Debian trixie — Debian Manpages.

Applicability

Review systemd-tmpfiles action flags and selected configuration using the Debian trixie manual.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends reviewing the effective configuration and intended action together before invoking the tool. Limit an investigation to the relevant configuration rather than applying every installed rule without need. Confirm which service owns each affected path and whether it can be recreated safely. Preserve necessary evidence before cleanup and define a rollback or restoration path for non-disposable content. Keep a creation check separate from a cleanup request so an operational script does not quietly broaden its filesystem effects over time.

Verification

In a disposable directory tree, review the tool’s supported preview behavior and exercise the exact approved action. Compare the resulting paths and metadata with the configuration. Confirm age-based cleaning and explicit removal do not get conflated in the maintenance runbook before using the procedure on a real service. Retain the exact configuration selection and flags beside the before/after tree. Have the path owner approve each expected removal and recreate step before the rehearsal, including any retained content that must remain untouched.

Official reference

Debian systemd manual — systemd-tmpfiles(8) — systemd — Debian trixie — Debian Manpages. Reviewed October 20, 2026.